Auctioned dresses could make dreams come true

Fans of the hit film "Dreamgirls" can dare to dream. They have the chance to bid on costumes used in the filming, marketing and production of the award-winning DreamWorks film.

The peach dresses and shoes worn by Beyonce Knowles, Jennifer Hudson and Anika Noni Rose, along with the tuxedo sported by Eddie Murphy, are all up for bidding, with proceeds benefiting Variety the Children's Charity of Southern California.

The 10-day auction began Saturday and will end at 5 p.m. Tuesday. The dresses, featured in the film's opening performance by the Dreamettes singing "Move," were designed by Academy Award nominee Sharen Davis. Each was made of pleated peach silk and the fitter cutter was John Hale at Universal Studios. The shoes were custom made by Dandee. Davis also designed the silver silk tuxedo worn by Murphy.

"Donations of items like the Dreamgirls' costumes along with the many generous items donated by the studio community in the past have helped us immeasurably in meeting the goal of raising more awareness for Variety the Children's Charity," said charity President Mary Nakagawa-Marti. "Auction items like these help us assist underprivileged children in Southern California, and we are thrilled that such memorable costumes are up for auction."

To bid, go to http://stores.ebay.com/Variety-The-Childrens-Charity.

Since November 2005, the site has raised more than $252,000 by auctioning Hollywood and sports memorabilia.

The charity's mission is to provide life-saving and life-enriching assistance to abused, addicted, physically challenged, neglected and/or underprivileged children in Southern California. Visit http://www.varietysocal.org for more information.